PixlBit

Hardware!  I remember that movie!  It has an awesome soundtrack.  They just don't make sci-fi movies like that anymore! 

They really don't,Matt! I also agree Hardware had a bitchin soundtrack!

There's definitely a double standard between games and movies. Remember when Eidos showed off the scene in the new Tomb Raider that could have been a rape scene. Huge public outcry, even though there was no rape even if you lost! And then you can have a movie with half a dozen pointless rapes and no one cares. The problem, I think, is that the nongaming public still thinks games are just for kids, and who would put a rape scene in something meant for kids?

I find it odd if the outside public still thinks of gaming as a kid's hobby. Most gamers seem to be in there 20's,30's,40's, and even 50's. At this point can they really claim to be ignorant to the truth or do they "choose" to deny the truth? I cannot help but to sway towards the later theory.

Zombies:  Do you play any of the Zombie mini games on the Call of Duty games? I bought all the Zombie games but I rarely play them, but they are pretty fun.

I hate to sound narrow-minded and pretentious but "zombies" are the only way to get me to play COD, James. lol.

I haven't checked out COD: Zombies yet but if they're anything like Left 4 Dead I'd probably dig them!

COD zombies is one of the only games I return to time and again, and the only reason I play COD at all. If you like left for dead I think you'll really dig 'Tranzit' in the latest game Ben.

Cool, I'll give em a gander if my pc specs can handle them,Adam! I also want to try RDR and its' Undead Nightmare expansion pack!

RDR undead nightmare is also awesome, It's a shame they didn't have a little more content init but just roaming around on a horse pulling off head shots will keep you entertained for hours....... zombies rule!

Sometimes a bit of rape in a film sets the story up. You ever see "I Spit On Your Grave" the original one? Although the remake was pretty good,too. We were playing some Tomb Raider today and thought of that. On an island consisting mostly of men you know raping Lara would be high on their list of priorities. Well,until she sticks a knife in their eye! Could put a damper on that whole thing. Hardware is a great film,I love that one. Haven't seen Zombie Diaries 2 yet. Sounds pretty good even with all the raping going on. Binary Domain  does sound good to me. Gotta pick that up for PS3.

My problem with Zombie Diaries 2 is it doesn't do anything new. The depravity of humankind has been done in so many post apocalyptic and zombie movies already. Still, the acting is decent and the protagonists are likable enough. It was the bandits that ruined the movie for me.

 "I spit on your grave" handles rape better because at least the victim gets her revenge. There's something satisfying about that!

Binary Domain is really good! It's only con is there is no co-op in the story campaign. However, you do get to build relationships and select your team-mates between missions so I really enjoyed that added depth. It's also awesome the robots will crawl after you even after having their legs blown off.

I hear ya on the 'blogging fuel running on empty' *sigh*...

As to your question- I think that video games get a lot more flak because they're not as 'mainstream'. I mean, those on the 'inner circle' tend to criticize them much more (along with anime/manga/tabletop RPG's/cosplay and the like), even if they touch on the same themes that TV/movies do.

I guess this unfair treatment stems from the fact that said inner circle is relatively ignorant... but I think part of the problem is we, as gaming/anime geeks, are unwilling to stand up for our hobby, something that is inherently important and precious to us, yet we make a mockery of in any case. And sometimes... I'm not sure if I'm ok with it anymore. Before, when one of those from the 'inner circle' said something negative or disrespectful about games/etc, I would just ignore it, roll my eyes, and turn away in disgust.... but by saying nothing, am I perpetuating the attitude of said inner circle? By doing nothing, am I essentially allowing this disrespect to perpetuate?

... alright. Introspection for today = complete. Thanks for the thought provoking blog Broken (heh)...

I think at this point it's difficult for me to believe the "non-gamers" are that ignorant. They may feign they are but probably only because they want an easy scapegoat for today's problems.

   However, if they really are that dense no intelligent argument is going to get through to them anyway. lol. Aka, in some instances it maybe best to roll your eyes and let them live in their own stupid little worlds.

  I just find it weird videogames (and to an extent anime,manga,and roleplaying) are critiqued more than films & books for being "immoral" when more often than not they don't go to the same extremes of sexual & violent debauchery. (Keep in mind I'm not lumping hentai in with standard manga & anime,heh!)

 PS: I see what you mean about gamers & geeks shaming other gamers & geeks too. Aka, self annointed white knights that tell us we should feel guilty for enjoying "sexy depictions of fictional women" as they crack wise about anime premoting pedophilia & rape culture. Those people make me cringe! They claim to be "passionate" about geekdom yet all they do is sneer at it & stone it!

Exactly. I'm not actually really sure that non-gamers are ignorant, but they sure pretend to be anyways. It's just crushing to see people turn up their noses while walking past Gamestop/video game section of Best Buy/etc and proclaim that its 'for geeks and immoral', and then they immediately turn into the next store/aisle over and start to peruse movies that are basically the same thematically.    .... Makes me even more angry when fellow gamers criticize my choice in games, even having that internal knowledge and knowing that we as a community suffer at the hands of non-gamers on a routine basis. 
Just get tired of it sometimes, but hey, the old eye rolling/walking away gig is still always an option, so might as well seek out greener pastures elsewhere (where other gamers with similar tastes lurk ...!) 

I think it boils down to people wanting to feel superior to other people which in itself is a sad and backwards way of thinking. For most humans it's easier to make up or point out faults about someone else as opposed to acknowledging their own faults. We really need to get beyond this whole snarky stage of 1-upmanship and attempted grandstanding!

It's hard for me to think of responses to topics like this since the games I play just consist of things like baby chicks who can only peep and stomp (I'm referring to Toki Tori 2). 

I have a new blog up if you'd like to read it.  Have a great day!

I'm still wanting for Shantae: Risky's Revenge to release on steam,Cary. lol. I like "cute games" too. It's just we're living in an era of AAA mature rated hype & the 360 isn't the best system for retro styled bright & colorful platformers. (I still want to try Dust: Elysian Tail though! It looks like symphony of the night with furries!)

There's definitely a disconnect when it comes to the critiquing of games and movies, especially when it comes to sexuality. I think it could be a result of the people doing the critiquing not really being entirely educated on the source material.

Here's a completely off topic example: PETA. They go on and on about the mistreatment of animals in video games, but half the time they don't even know what they're talking about. They were quick to call out Modern Warfare 2 for the favela section when you have to shoot a dog, but proceeded to give Fable 2 the award of "most animal friendly game" because it promotes a vegan lifestyle and you have a canine companion. But it's obvious they were only looking on the surface and didn't actually do all their research, because there's an achievement in the game called "Chicken Kicker"....which you get, by kicking chickens. Obviously. Boy do they know their stuff...

Not to mention all the brown people you shoot in those games. But PETA only cares if you are shooting animals of course. 

Brittany

I dunno Britt, Peta is good to have around when you want to laugh. lol. What's kinda sad is their Pokemon: Black & Blue flash game was well put together. Aka, you can tell that small team had the potential to do good work if they'd just drop the crazy.

I do agree it's weird they voted Fable the most "animal friendly game" on account poor chickens get kicked around a lot throughout the series. Not that's really "oh noez territory" for me but you would think for Peta it would be.

As real as it gets

Peta probably justifies that under the umbrella they specialize in animal rights and not human rights,mate. How convenient,right? lol.

PETA are a bunch of animal rights shock-jocks. They've run ridiculous ads slamming Cooking Mama, probably because you can cook meat dishes in those games. They also ran an attitude slamming Mario for the Tanooki suit. They've been doing these antics for decades now. Ingrid Newkirk (PETA founder) was radicalized by Alex Pacheco, and PETA supports the Animal Liberation Front, which is an even more radical organization classed as a terrorist organization by Homeland Security.

Guess Pacheco brought his own brand of radical crazy to PETA. lol. At the very least they don't seem to actively bomb places. You gotta admit seeing Mario in a bloody Tanooki suit or abused Pokemon may be "silly" but noone is getting hurt by it.

  Seems like The Animal Liberation front is the more "serious threat" so to speak. Though I do hope for all the harm they might do they save an endangered species once in awhile or shut down places really bad for animal cruelty.

  Regardless, I can't take PETA seriously no matter who they're allied with.

Wow, Hardware. Haven't seen that in ages. Remember it and liked it, though. 

Most zombie movies suck nowadays, I recommend Dead Alive or any of the Return of the Living Dead movies

Binary Domain looks good. May get that in the future.

Binary Domain is great when you need to play something in short bursts. It's one of those perfect length games that's not too long or too short. There's also a good romance going on amidst all the robot scrapping! It's one of the few squad based shooters where I actually cared about just about every character. I still want to get the absolutely best ending in which noone from the original Rust Crew actually dies.

I find rape so difficult to watch in any movie, though it seems that becuase it is so shocking to watch some films throw it in there for a quick fix but as you say it needs to be done with the right context in place. I only find torture to be on par with rape, and I believe that it's because these two scenarios show someone at their most vulnerable and helpless, all for the quick pleasure of someone else (i.e. you couldn't torture some one unless you enjoyed it). Both of these acts take so much from the victim to give so little to the perpetrator, a moment of 'pleasure' in exchange for a lifetime of horror. I love Zombie films, so thanks for giving me a warning about this one, now I know it's one to miss. Might have to check out Hardware though!

Yeah, I'm not big on the grim-dark zombie approach anymore,Adam. I thought even The Walking Dead took itself way too seriously. I enjoyed the show at first but as I went in it really began to sap my inner joy battery.

In general I don't want zombies,rape,and torture mixed into one disgusting cocktail. Again, I'm not saying we shouldn't explore rape but I always preferred the movies where the victim is somehow able to get revenge on his or her victimizers. (There have been movies with male rape too though they are far fewer)

I know what you mean about the walking dead, I ve watched upto the Daryl/ Merle fight and it'sstarting to get a little bit... preachy. Its a shame too because season 1 was epically cool, that whole on the road thing was pretty much what I love about a 'zombie apocalypse' The thing is other films do it better, I recommend you watch 'the road' if you ve not done so already, no Zombies just the end of the world. Not easy to watch but no horrible rape scenes, how they use people for food is truly terrifying though!

The Road was good even though it took me awhile to fully warm up to it. I saw the movie after a friend of mine read the book. It was harrowing and disturbing at points but it had a bittersweet somewhat happy ending. I think human cannibals are more scary than zombies. Personal opinion of course!

I'm definitely going to have to try Binary Doman.  It sounds right up my Alley.  And thanks for the suggestion for Hardware, I will check it out tonight after work when I'm trying to fall asleep. ( Not being an ass, I like watching movies before I go to bed lol)

It's cool man! Before bed time is usually when I watch movies too. lol. But yeah,Hardware is solid! There's also some very interesting characters in it too besides for the self assembling kill bot.

Gonna have to check out Binary Domain, you got me with the mention of Ghost in the Shell. I'm a big fan of GITS and its a shame we have only gotten two games and only one of which is any good. That being the PS1 entry. Deus Ex Human Revolution is the closest thing to a GITS game I have played in years.

Not a big fan of horror flicks, but shameless shock gimmicks just show the lack of talent and imagination of the so called artist. Whether it be movies, music, or video games its just lame and only the most depraved teenage moron or some one with the same mentality would find it entertaining.

 I think why they attack video games is because much like animation it has been pigeon holed by american culture as something for "kids". So they think all these dark violent games are being made for kids. If you made an R rated animated film and tried to release it like a normal film here in the states it would likely get attacked the same way. Yet in Europe and Japan its just another movie.

Binary Domain is a lot like Ghost In The Shell. I wouldn't say it rips GITS off but it definitely drew its' inspiration from the same well. Things get a lot more complicated later on and it makes you question the line where the machine ends and the human begins.

As for the way "outsiders" see videogames, it's still very strange for me. I have friends up into their 50's who are gamers yet there's still an ignorant majority that sees games as "just for kids"?! People have to "TRY HARD" to be that ignorant. It certainly doesn't come natural!

As for horror flicks, they don't make em the way I like 80% of the time. I grew up with the original Evil Dead, Critters, Nightmare on elmstreet, The Gate, Puppet-master,Phantasm, and Hell-raiser. It was a time horror films still had imagination and many of them were not afraid to have a demented sense of humor. Now they come with the long face of grim-dark and edgy realism! (Barf!)

Yeah, the few I like add some humor to take the edge off like Evil Dead and Critters. Thats why I'm a little weary of the Evil Dead reboot, just going from the ads it looks too much like most of the other modern horror flicks.

I have known people my age who have an ignorant bias toward video games. I don't get it. If you were born in the late 70's early 80's and don't play video games, now that to me seems weird. It would be like being born in the 1920's, and only liking movies when you were a kid, but then when you grow up you say " Movies? Thats for kids, no respectable adult would waste their time watching movies." I guesse they rather watch American Idol. Now there is a culture destroying waste of time. And it propably kills more brain cells than chugging everclear through a beer bong. If you like American Idol, please forget what I just said, lol.

American Idol is terrible. lol. It's also pretentious how America thinks that its' collective perception on everything is automatically right. "Videogames & cartoons are just for kids!" Yeah, keep thinking that folks, the world is passing you by! It's sad such people will never play something like Deadly Premonition and will never watch an animated film akin to Grave Of The Fireflies. Their loss!

Binary Domain does look awesome.

As for rape, with context and not doing just for yucks, but giving it the gravity it deserves, it can be implemented into a good story. There's a Clive Owen one called I'll Sleep When I'm Dead about Owen avenging his younger brother who was raped and killed by the mob guys he used to work with. And there's I Spit on Your Grave which I have yet to see the second part of Cinema Snob's review for, but it's been called everything from "trash" to "female empowerment fantasy" (cause she gets her revenge), apparently.

But it's a disgusting act no matter what the setting, so I understand your stomach bile reaction to it, especially in a dumb zombie flick where it's just not needed, and will be avoiding that movie. I'll also be avoiding I Spit On Your Grave for that matter, but at least that one seems like it took the matter seriously with proper gravitas.

I realize in the end certain people have stronger stomachs than I do Joe. lol. I don't think that makes them "bad people" but rape is one of those things I'm more sensitive about.

I'll sleep when I'm dead seems like a well thought out movie based on your description. Thanks for the recommendation!

Because they compare video games to the cream of movies, not the B level efforts, and games lose out in that comparison.  Is there any game on par with A Clockwork Orange, American Psycho, or The Accused when it comes to integrating sexual violence, themes, and subtext?  If so, you can probably count them on less than one hand.  Movies like Zombie Diaries 2 are considered "trash" or "exploitation" and not on the mind of critics or commentators attempting to make comparisons.

 To sum:  Video game writing hasn't reached the craft or sophistication of the top scripts or novels, which are what they get compared to.  How games handle rape, crime, and sexuality is crude, exploitive, and unintelligent in comparison. That's why they are treated differently imo.

I admit most games haven't reached the same level as a very good book or very good movie. But there are many books & movies that are exploitative trash on a much lower level than most videogames. Thus it kind of evens out somewhat.

Regardless, games are a young medium, Chris! Hopefully we'll see amazing things from the genre after it matures more. Er, hopefully we'll still be alive for that!

However, I do think games have gotten better in some ways. Just a shame they've back-slided in others.

Interaction, that's probably the main reason why people get up in arms about violence in movies and videogames. In movies, you're just watching and videogames there is degree of interaction depending on far the developers are willing to go with it.

As for Binary Domain, I tried playing it but the game's camera kind of gets in the way. For some reason it kind of gets me dizzy and that kind of sucks. It seems interesting enough.

Funny, I've had quite a few friends that get a semblence of motion sickness in certain games. The hardest parts for me were the on rails vehicle sections for some reason. It seemed harder to keep a steady aim then.

As for "videogames being interactive" I kinda sorta agree but very few games reach the same depravity of certain slasher flicks. Yeah, we've had our man-hunts and our rape-lays but on average movies get away with more graphic gore and controversial material.

Watching a full blown rape scene taking place bothers me more than the main character being groped some right before she turns the tables and kicks ass. You got to admit there's a difference between "suggestive overtones" and a sickening scene that plays out in gruesome detail.

While a few games have gone that far movies and even books push the envelop more frequently yet they seem to have a halo effect protecting them from the usual cries of misogyny and objectfication.

In my opinion, the zombie genre is one that is oversaturated with works that don't 'get it' so to speak. I love the original Night of The Living Dead, and The Walking Dead because they delve into the human issues of how people would deal with the world falling apart without throwing in rape purely for shock value. Seriously, the world is gone, food is scarce, your loved ones are in constant peril, everyday is a struggle, and the first thing someone thinks is "I think I'll go rape someone?" I feel it's something using quite often simply for shock value, as it is one of the most sickening, depraved acts someone can commit. Whenever one occurs in a movie, that's my cue to go smoke a cig or get a drink - it's just too brutal.

Honestly, I feel like gaming gets attacked by the media simply because it doesn't have the lobbying in Washington that other industries (film, firearm, etc) have. The gaming industry isn't "playing ball" so to speak, so it will be the scapegoat for atrocities that it has absolutely nothing to do with.

Unfortunately, I think that is the scariest part of a zombie attack.  It is not the zombies or the need to survive.  It is the depraved acts that humanity will stoop to without any governing order to surpress it.  If you go back to Romero's Night of the Living Dead, it did not deal to these extremes, but the underlying theme was that of the poor human condition.  Rewatch the original black and white version.  It is more of a social study than a horror film.  I'm not a fan of rape scenes and do not endorse it in any way but in a movie like 28 days later, I think it was more social commentary than shock value.

Agreed - The 28 Days Later scenario dealt with the end of humanity, and the hopelessness that would accompany that situation without the option of procreation. That is a great horror movie, and I certainly agree it wasn't for shock value there.

Night of The Living Dead is just so damn good. The tension and claustrophobia in that farm house between the characters is intense - and that ending perfectly shows that in those situations, people are the ones to fear, more so than the zombies. One of my all time favorites, hands down!

28 days later suggested sedation & rape for the sake of "boosted morale" among the military group the main characters encountered but it did it tastefully. Nothing got "graphic" and "in our faces" but the threat and tension were still present.

I know for me subtly often works over the detailed shock approach. It could be I'm a bit of a wuss though. lol. I won't deny that. 

You're probably dead on the money justin. I cannot say I know of any lobbyist groups for video-games in particular.

As for "rape" I agree it's one thing that would never cross my mind during a zombie apocalypse. I'd be too worried about making it to the next safe house and getting a bite to eat. lol.

Even if I teamed up with pretty female survivors I'd be paranoid about having sex right away. All it takes is letting my guard down at a bad location and I could easily get both myself and my lover killed.

Maybe after we had a semblance of safety and stability THEN I'd consider romantic options.

I'm glad to see you enjoyed Binary Domain! I had full intentions on playing through it, but I just haven't been able to as of yet. I definitely plan to get it and give it a run-through though at some point. Perhaps once I finish Skyrim and Bioshock?

Seems like you have a full plate, Chris. lol. Definitely try Binary Domain again at some point though. It's worth it and a reasonabe length that will not tare you away from reality too long.

As far as blogging fuel goes,you have enough to spare I think. You write some pretty awesome ones. Mine are just blurbs compared to yours. But I learn from reading good ones like yours,so I'll get better with time. 

It gets easier the more you write,Celt! Sometimes smaller blogs are nicer to read anyway, especially for people on the go who are busy. I'm sure mine are meandering and more long winded than they have to be on occasion. lol.

I already wrote about Binary Domain a while ago and agree that it is a great story. We're like Roger & Ebert giving a rare two thumbs up. It's a slick action flick with great characters and robot action. 

I genuinly like Zombie genres.I don't like all the bad movies, but it's interesting to see what creators come up with while using the same scenarios of walking dead. I think 28 Days Later presented the humans are monsters not the zombies best, especially towards the end if you can remember the ending. Romero is remaking one of his classic films and I can't wait to see it. I liked that last one he made. 

28 days later set a pretty high bar for me. I wasn't quite as fond of the sequel though.

Good to know Romero making another Dead flick. I tend to enjoy his movies in particular.

As for Binary Domain I was pleasantly surprised! I'll probably play through again just to get the very best ending. (Though maxing everyone's trust is a tall order)

Your last point made me think. Games do tend to get slammed for things films are praised for. Goes back to Roger Ebert and his dismissal of games as an art form. But some film directors get the same treatment. Look at Quentin Tarantino. Only now is he getting the recognition he deserves from film critics and the industry. Why is that? Because he has never played their game. He plays by his own set of rules. Hollywood hates that! And most of his earlier films were written off as crap due to the violent content. But the guy knows movies that people want to see. He is one of us.

Ah, Hollywood is mostly crap anyway Celt. lol. It's the directors that go their own way that make the best movies. Every once in awhile Hollywood surprises me in a good way but it's rare.

I loved Dust Till Dawn and that's probably my favorite Tarantino flick of all time. Pulp Fiction was good too but what can I say? I prefer vampire strippers in Mexico!